hello, I make a lot of recording using a mini-dv video camera. the avrage size of the file is about 20gb in dv-avi format, and around 30,000 bitrate. now, I want to burn it to a disc with the LARGEST capacity available today i.e DVD, as a DATA not a video. so, what is the best and largest DVD media on the market today I can use with? (price is also an issue here). also, is there a difference between r-/r+ for this matter? second, what is the best format for converting the DV source file to fit the size of a DVD disc (depends on the capacity), and still maintaining the closest quality to the DV source? thank you.

DVD+/-R (single layer) media is 4.7GB or 4.38GB depending on how you calculate a GB. Decent prices for quality media like TY (ex: Fujifilm made in Japan) or Verbatim can be found for about $0.50 per disc when on sale...can probably less if you search online. DVD+/-R DL (dual layer) media can hold roughly twice that of single layer but this stuff is expensive...probably on the order of $7-$10 per disc.

Neither of these will suite your current needs w/o re-encoding your DV source...and losing quality like an MPEG. Since you're not concerned about authoring a DVD-video disc from your DV file...you'll just want to make a DVD ISO (or UDF) format disc. Which DVD+/- media doesn't really matter as long as your target DVD-ROM or writer can read both ok...typically it's only an issue for authored DVD-video's where you need to play them back on a home theater DVD system.

Another option if you really want to preserve your original DV file: you can use WinRAR to split your original file into multiple files (selectable chunk sizes & store/compression options). Then just put each of these chunks on their own DVD disc. When you need to go edit the film again you'll need to copy each chunk to your hard drive and uncompress them...adequate hard drive space for the chunks and the original source file is required of course.

ok. I liked the idea with the winrar. you have any idea how much will it compress the file, and if there a way to further compress it without damging it? second, do I have to alter anything in the compression process or does it stays just like it was?

other than this, I don't know if I have the money and time to start burning 3-5 dvd's for each movie, so maybe i will have to convert the 20gb dv-avi file to a 4.7gb. once again, I don't need it as a movie, just as a data, so that in the future i'll be able to edit the movie once again. what is the best way to do it? thanks.